Michele makes Belgian cut with two shots to spare

Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) slashes six shots off her opening day secore with a 71 for 148 to make the cut with two shots to spare in the Ladies European Tour Access Series tournament for the Citizen Guard Trophy at Rinkven Golf Club, Belgium.
The former Curtis Cup player from Ellon is in joint 29th place, 11 shots behind the leader, Spanish amateur, Natalia ERscuriola who has scored 68-69 for 137.
Jane Turner (Craigielaw), the only other Scot to make the cut, is joint 39th on the limit qualifying mark of 150 with rounds of 74 and 76. The Lothians player dropped four shots to per over her last six holes.
Former Scottish women's amateur champion Alyson McKechin from Paisley missed the cut by seven shots with rounds of 78-79 for 157 - three better than Glasgow's Gemma Webster (Succession Group) (78-82)

LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
137 Natalia Escuriola (Spain) 68 69
138 Isi Gabsa (Germany) 66 72, Olivia Cowan (Germany)_ 69 69, Luna Sobron (Spain) (am) 67 71. 

SCOTS' SCORES
148 Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) 77 71 (T29)
150 Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 74 76 (T39)

MISSED THE CUT (150 and better qualified for final round)
157 Alyson McKechnin (Elderslie) 78 79
160 Gemma Webster (Succession Group) 78 82 

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NEWS RELEASE FROM LET
By Bethan Cutler, LET Media Manager

 Spanish amateur Natalie Escuriola shot a second round of 69 to take a one shot lead into the final round of the CitizenGuard LETAS Trophy at Rinkven Golf Club in Belgium today.

Escuriola, 36^th on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, played solidly in the warm and windy conditions, finishing strongly with four birdies in her last five holes and was pleased with her performance.

“I made four birdies in a row on 14^th, 15^th, 16^th and 17^th. I played good like yesterday. I feel good, I’m playing good and I’m putting well,” said the 20 year old, from Castellon. 

Escuriola’s closest challengers are her fellow countrywoman and amateur Luna Sobron, the current leader of the LETAS ranking, Isi Gabsa and Germany-based English club pro's daughter Olivia Cowan, who has just turned professional this week. All three players are tied for second place at 6 under par, 138.

Gabsa recorded a level par 72, finding the conditions in the second round a little more testing than for her first-day 66.

“It was tough to play with the wind and the pin positions. They were always in the corners and it’s tough with the wind so I made some good pars, some good saves and had two or three birdies.

Sobron, the 2014 European Amateur Champion, fought back strongly after scoring a double bogey on the fourth hole and has put herself in a strong position to win her first event on the LET Access Series. 

“I made five birdies with one mistake, a double bogey on the 4^th hole. I had three putts and went in the water. My game was good,” said Sobron. “It was more windy than yesterday so the distance for the clubs was very difficult to measure. I feel good, I need to enjoy only then play well.”

A total of 41 professionals and six amateurs made the cut, which fell at six over par 150.

At the close of the 2015 LETAS season, the top five players on the 2015 Ranking will earn membership of the Ladies European Tour, while players in sixth to 20th positions will have the opportunity to progress to the final stage of Lalla Aicha Tour School for 2016.